I've been thinking about all the conflicts in the middle east and elsewhere lately and I've come to the conclusion that things wouldn't be/as/ bad if we all just had some more room. Think about it, you live in Palestine, and you're upset with the Isrealis and don't want them trespassing or causing trouble on what you consider your land (and lets not get into details or sides or any particulars of their conflict, this is an EXAMPLE). What if you could snap your fingers and all of a sudden you had limitless land, limitless resources, and no neighbors to fight over it with you. Would you keep on fighting? No, there's no one left to fight. Presumably everyone on "your side" agrees with you and ants to work with you. If there is a disagreement and it turns violent, the process repeats itself and you each split yourself away and receive limitless land, and limitless resources to start over. Now we won't get into the morals of just walking away and not dealing with your problems here but you can see how this would reduce conflict. On top of being able to completely isolate yourself from everyone/every group you disagree with (to the point of conflict anyways, minor disagreements are part of life) imagine if it were virtually impossible for those people you were fighting with to harm you, and for you to harm them because you couldn't -reach- one another independantly. Alliances could still be forged, commerce could still flow, people could still immigrate, just in a very controlled way that all parties participating agreed upon. It all comes down to having the room and the resources to pull it off. How do you defend yourself from would be invaders/attackers? Normally it'd be impossible for a country to protect every inch of its borders. But not if you had an entire PLANET.
And there's the kicker. Space colonization on a broad scale. Launch vehicles/transports and terraforming techniques are coming quickly. I think when were technically able we should find as many planets as possible that fit certain criteria for colonization. These planets wouldn't necessarily have oxygen and a breathable atmosphere right off, but they would contain sufficient resources, sunlight, heat, water, elements, etc. to make them livable. Then when we compile the list of planets/systems, a global panel is formed to manage it. If you are an individual or a group you can compose a written proposal for settlement detailing your plans for colonization and why you want to leave Earth (sort of like a business plan for colonization). If your plan is approved, you are given the necessary transports, equiptment, food, tools, defense satellites, fuel, and whatever else has been approved for you and you and your followers are sped on your way to your new home. Once you arrive you set up shop, and begin executing your plan for colonization/terraformation and you don't have to talk to anyone you don't want to talk to. Anyone on your planet may leave anytime by way of a Panel provided taxi shuttle or other transportation device yet to be developed that will come to you. The new colony is responsible for re-imbersing the Panel for the equiptment they took by sending back whatever material/product they agreed on. If the colony never repays the panel, the colony is never alowed to participate in the larger UP (United Planets ala UN style). Repayment of your loan is the entry fee. Once accepted each planet receives 1 vote regardless of size or population. I know I've gotten off track a lot and many of these ideas aren't thought out but hopefully my main theory comes accross. Colonize space, let people go, they control their own destiny, leave them alone unless they opt to cooperate with another colony or a larger organization. Of course, by the time that comes about we'll all have forgotten Globalism and have moved on to Solarism:)
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I've been thinking about all the conflicts in the middle east and elsewhere lately and I've come to the conclusion that things wouldn't be /as/ bad if we all just had some more room. Think about it, you live in Palestine, and you're upset with the Isrealis and don't want them trespassing or causing trouble on what you consider your land (and lets not get into details or sides or any particulars of their conflict, this is an EXAMPLE). What if you could snap your fingers and all of a sudden you had limitless land, limitless resources, and no neighbors to fight over it with you. Would you keep on fighting? No, there's no one left to fight. Presumably everyone on "your side" agrees with you and ants to work with you. If there is a disagreement and it turns violent, the process repeats itself and you each split yourself away and receive limitless land, and limitless resources to start over. Now we won't get into the morals of just walking away and not dealing with your problems here but you can see how this would reduce conflict. On top of being able to completely isolate yourself from everyone/every group you disagree with (to the point of conflict anyways, minor disagreements are part of life) imagine if it were virtually impossible for those people you were fighting with to harm you, and for you to harm them because you couldn't -reach- one another independantly. Alliances could still be forged, commerce could still flow, people could still immigrate, just in a very controlled way that all parties participating agreed upon. It all comes down to having the room and the resources to pull it off. How do you defend yourself from would be invaders/attackers? Normally it'd be impossible for a country to protect every inch of its borders. But not if you had an entire PLANET.
:)
And there's the kicker. Space colonization on a broad scale. Launch vehicles/transports and terraforming techniques are coming quickly. I think when were technically able we should find as many planets as possible that fit certain criteria for colonization. These planets wouldn't necessarily have oxygen and a breathable atmosphere right off, but they would contain sufficient resources, sunlight, heat, water, elements, etc. to make them livable. Then when we compile the list of planets/systems, a global panel is formed to manage it. If you are an individual or a group you can compose a written proposal for settlement detailing your plans for colonization and why you want to leave Earth (sort of like a business plan for colonization). If your plan is approved, you are given the necessary transports, equiptment, food, tools, defense satellites, fuel, and whatever else has been approved for you and you and your followers are sped on your way to your new home. Once you arrive you set up shop, and begin executing your plan for colonization/terraformation and you don't have to talk to anyone you don't want to talk to. Anyone on your planet may leave anytime by way of a Panel provided taxi shuttle or other transportation device yet to be developed that will come to you. The new colony is responsible for re-imbersing the Panel for the equiptment they took by sending back whatever material/product they agreed on. If the colony never repays the panel, the colony is never alowed to participate in the larger UP (United Planets ala UN style). Repayment of your loan is the entry fee. Once accepted each planet receives 1 vote regardless of size or population. I know I've gotten off track a lot and many of these ideas aren't thought out but hopefully my main theory comes accross. Colonize space, let people go, they control their own destiny, leave them alone unless they opt to cooperate with another colony or a larger organization. Of course, by the time that comes about we'll all have forgotten Globalism and have moved on to Solarism